The 7 Most Effective Exercises You’re Not Doing—But Should

When it comes to exercise, it's easy to get stuck in a rut. Maybe you go to the gym to slog through 30 minutes on the treadmill. Or perhaps you're a Spin or Zumba devotee, going to class three times a week and maybe incorporating a little strength training or yoga here and there. Whatever your go-to workout, there are major benefits to switching things up—especially if you add functional exercises to your routine. (Make YOUR well-being a priority this year! Join Prevention and other leading minds in health & wellness for our annual R3 Summit.)

Functional moves can not only help you break through your fitness plateau so you see better results, but they also strengthen the muscles you use on an everyday basis, making things like pushing a heavy grocery cart or lifting a child a lot easier and safer. The best part? You can do all of these moves at home—no expensive gym equipment required.

Here are 7 moves personal trainers across the country agree are the exercises that we should all be doing but most of us are skipping.

Stand with your arms extended toward the ceiling, over your head. Slowly fold forward and bend your knees until your palms are flat on the floor. Now walk your hands out to a push-up position. Do one push-up (start with a knee push up if necessary), then walk your hands back to your feet, and return to the starting position. Do the move for 30 seconds; build up to 60 seconds.

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Dead Bug

Mitch Mandel

Lie on the floor on your back with and lift your knees so they're at a 90-degree angle, with shins parallel to the floor. Reach your arms up toward the ceiling keeping your back and head flat on the ground. Press your lower back into the floor as you exhale sharply, feeling your abs engage. "I tell my clients to pretend there's a grape under your lower back and you want to smash that grape," says Henry Halse, a certified personal trainer and strength and conditioning specialist in Philadelphia. Keep squeezing your abs as you reach your right hand behind your head and straighten your left leg, all while keeping your lower back flat on the ground. Repeat on the other side. Do 3 sets of 8 reps on each side.

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Burpees

Beth Bischoff

Start in a standing position, feet hip-width apart. Squat down and put your hands on the floor in front of you. Kick your legs straight back behind you so you're in a push-up position, then hop your legs back up between your hands (or as close as possible) and stand up. That's one rep. See how many you can do in a minute. "Burpees are a great conditioning workout," says Halse.

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Glute Bridge

Beth Bischoff

"This movement is the opposite of what you're doing while sitting at your desk all day, and it 'wakes up' your glutes to prevent low back pain," says Kate Vidulich, a personal trainer in San Francisco.

Lie on your back with your knees bent, both feet on the ground comfortably close to your butt. Bring your weight into your heels and, squeezing your glutes, drive your hips up toward the ceiling and hold for 3 to 5 seconds. Then lower your hips back down to the starting position. Do a total of 10 to 15 reps.

Stand with your knees slightly bent, toes turned out and feet slightly wider than shoulder-width. Hold a 2- to 3-pound medicine ball (or, if you don’t have one, a bottle of water or jug of milk) at arm’s distance in front of you. Turn torso slightly to the left, then hinge at your hips and lower the ball until it's positioned at the outer part of your left foot; bend your left knee slightly and keep your right leg straight. Engage your abs, then lift your torso and straighten your left leg as you bring the ball across your body and up toward your right shoulder as if you were passing it to a person behind you. Keep your eyes on the ball and your arms straight. Return to the starting position with the weight extended in front of you, then repeat on the opposite side of your body. That’s one rep. Do 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions.

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Single-Leg Squat

Hilmar Hilmar

"Performing unilateral exercises like this one help promote muscle symmetry in the body because one side has to do all of the work without the other side compensating," says Robin M. Gillespie, a certified personal trainer in Philadelphia. "Single-leg squats also helps develop balance, an oftentimes neglected aspect of fitness."

Stand on your left leg, with your right leg slightly bent, foot off the floor, arms at your sides. Extend your arms in front of you and slowly bend your left leg as you lean forward with your torso, hingeing at the waist and keeping your back straight. To maintain your balance, keep your abs engaged. Slowly raise up to the starting position; do 8 to 12 reps before changing sides. Do 2 to 3 sets.

Lie on your stomach with your head slightly lifted, arms at your sides, eyes looking down at the floor. As you inhale, lift your arms and legs up an inch to hover above the floor while keeping your gaze down. As you hold this lifted position, squeeze your glutes and thighs together. As you exhale, pull your elbows in toward the sides of your body while still hovering 1 inch above the ground. On your next inhale, reach your arms straight out in front of you and then place all limbs back on the floor as you exhale. That's one rep. Do 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions.

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